Book Bits: 24 August 2024

The Corporate Life Cycle: Business, Investment, and Management Implications
Aswath Damodaran
Summary via publisher (Portfolio/Penguin Random House)
Throughout his storied career, Aswath Damodaran has searched for the universal key to demystify corporate finance and valuation. Now, at last, he offers the groundbreaking answer to readers everywhere. It turns out there is a corporate lifecycle very much like our own — with unique stages of growth and decline. And just as we must learn to act our age, so too must companies. By better understanding how corporations age and the characteristics of each stage of their lifecycle, we can unlock the secrets behind any businesses behavior and optimize our management and investment decisions accordingly.

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Macro Briefing: 23 August 2024

* Markets will focus on today’s speech by Fed Chairman Powell at Jackson Hole
* US existing home sales rise in July–first monthly gain in 5 months
* Canada government ends rail strike, ordering arbitration for labor dispute
* July economic output slowed: Chicago Fed Nat’l Activity Index
* US jobless claims up slightly, remain middling vs. recent history
* US economic activity eases in August but still points to 2%-plus growth: PMI

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Two Rounds Of Key Economic Reports To Go Ahead Of US Election

The economy isn’t always decisive in US presidential elections, except when it is. Think Herbert Hoover in 1932 and George H.W. Bush in 1992. Each lost the presidency to a challenger primarily because of the economy. Current conditions are far less extreme, of course. In fact, by a number of metrics, the economy looks relatively solid. But there are also plenty of challenges brewing and so it’s debatable how much the economy will influence the results of Nov. 5 and which candidate will benefit the most.

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